Elizabeth Magnuson and colleagues found that although CABG initially cost nearly $9,000 more than PCI ($34,467 versus $25,845), over the long term it was more cost effective. At five years, greater follow-up costs in the PCI group, in large part due to a greater number of repeat revascularization procedures, reduced the difference so that CABG cost only $3,600 more than PCI. The researchers calculated that CABG had a lifetime cost-effectiveness of $8,132 per QALY (quality-adjusted life-year) gained, which is considered highly cost effective. The finding was consistent across a broad range of assumptions.

The authors concluded “that CABG provides not only better long-term clinical outcomes than DES-PCI but that these benefits are achieved at an overall cost that represents an attractive use of societal health care resources. These findings suggest that existing guidelines that recommend CABG for diabetic patients with multivessel CAD remain appropriate in current practice and may provide additional support for strengthening those recommendations.”

“With great concerns about escalating healthcare costs, it’s very important when setting policy to understand the benefits gained from additional expenditures over the long run,” said Magnuson, in an AHA press release. “This is especially true in cardiovascular disease where many interventions tend to be very costly up front.”